This Time
by nowthatspink
Summary: This time she dared to let go of her rule-abiding tendencies and reach out for the hand of the troublemaker. James/Lily one-shot where Lily finally falls for the infamous marauder.


Hello again! It sure has been a long time. I started really missing James and Lily, so here's a little one-shot for old times sake :)

(I don't own any of the characters, yadda yadda) Hope you enjoy!

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"Come here," he said.

It was amazing how two simple words could send a wave of shivers down her spine.

Normally her response would be something witty, abrupt, or cleverly plotted…but not this time.

This time she let down her guard.

Usually she would have annoyingly narrowed her emerald green eyes at him and stared with pure, unwavering determination to not fall for his charm.

But this time she finally let herself get lost in the hazel storm of his heart stopping, mischievous gaze that was transfixed on her.

Any other time she would have looked at the hand he was holding out to her and comment on how it was remarkable that he kept it outstretched for so long without using it to mess up his already unruly hair.

This time her heart was pounding so hard that she could hardly hear herself think.

Every other time she shot him down…but not this time.

Nope, this time she dared to let go of her rule-abiding tendencies and reach out for the hand of the troublemaker.

"Okay," she whispered, surprised by the shock of electricity that made her knees weak when their skin touched.

His mouth twisted into the signature James Potter grin. The grin that girls would swoon over, the grin that drove her insane for six years, the grin that this time didn't bother her one bit.

This time she knew that grin was for her eyes only.

He held on tightly to her hand and wrapped his invisibility cloak around them. She was very aware of their close proximity and found herself bathed in the radiation of his body heat.

She had no idea where he was leading her. All she knew was that they were whisking their way through the corridors after hours, completely hidden from sight.

This time she didn't mind breaking the rules.

"Where are you taking me Potter?" she asked, trying to regain some of her senses.

His thumb brushed over her knuckles, reassuring her. "Sorry Evans, I'm not ruining the surprise."

This time she didn't try to hide the smile creeping on her face.

Before she knew it, he had led her up a secret staircase, through a wall, down a cramped hallway, and up another staircase to the base of an old wooden door.

Any other time she would have jumped at the chance to get him in trouble, but this time her blood pumped with adrenalin and excitement.

He removed the cloak, opened the door, and suddenly they were on top of the world.

They stood at the top of one of the many castle towers, but this tower had somehow escaped her knowledge.

She gasped at the sight above her; millions of stars were shining down on them, and she felt like this enchanted blanket of sky was for the two of them alone.

"How…?" she asked, amazed and utterly wonderstruck.

"I stumbled across this place and remembered how much you liked stars," he said, nervously messing up his hair.

This time she found his tiresome habit endearing.

"Wow…" was all she could manage, staring up above.

"I actually found this place a couple of years ago…" he continued. "But I never thought I would actually get the chance to show it to you. I'm really glad you came Lily," he said smiling at her. "Really glad."

This time he called her by her first name.

Any other time…well, this was the only time Lily had ever willingly spent this much time alone with James. And this time she sure was glad they were alone.

She reached up and, for the first time, gave James Potter a hug.

This time she thought she heard his heart skip.

His arms encircled her waist and she felt tingles wave over her skin. She held on tight and let herself get intoxicated by the stupid boy whose arms were wrapped around her. A burst of realization hit her as she thought back to every time he told her he'd never give up, every time he said that he would wait as long as he had to. She never believed him before, but now, with his arms around her, she knew he had been speaking the truth.

This time she knew he'd never let her go.

She slowly loosened her grip, but he still held her close. With his face only centimeters away, she could hardly distinguish between their two heartbeats, both competing to race the fastest.

Unable to pass up the moment, her smile turned into a sly grin and she asked, "Is the always cocky James Potter actually _nervous_?"

His face began to change with all too familiar features: pride, confidence, smugness…but then it softened.

This time _he_ let down his guard.

"You're the only one who could ever make me nervous."

The look on his face made her realized that she rendered any chance of turning back.

Her eyes fluttered as the small gap between them closed, and she felt every molecule in her body combust as his lips captured hers.

An indescribable feeling overcame her, a feeling as if she was missing something her entire life and now she was suddenly whole. The sensation of his lips against hers was more powerful than any magic she had experienced, more thrilling than she could have imagined, and more inebriating than she would ever dare to admit.

This time, when they parted, she was breathless.

He rested his forehead against hers and smiled. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen this smile before, and the only way she could describe it was with the exact word she was feeling: elated.

"I've been waiting to do that for six years," he said softly, his voice low.

Her brain, focusing so much on keeping herself standing, was having a hard time forming words. "Bet you never thought that would happen."

"Oh, I knew it would," he said. "But I have to admit you had me discouraged there for a while."

She let out a small laugh. "Well, _I_ never thought it would happen…but I'm happy to be proven wrong."

His smile could have lit up the night sky.

"I'd be happy to prove you wrong again."

This time she thought her heart was going to break out of her chest.

His hands moved from her waist and he cupped her face, leaning down to kiss her once again. She held on tight and tangled her fingers in the unruly locks she was becoming more and more fond of.

He had pestered her every day of her life the past six years. There never went a day without him making some sort of appearance, usually involving a prank, and there were only ever a few days that she thought he might finally give up. He never did. It certainly had been a long time coming, but, in this moment, Lily realized that everything happened exactly as it was supposed to.

This time she finally believed that James was in love with her. And this time…she loved him back.


End file.
